Perilous times

Perilous times. Sounds very dramatic. I once read a book called “The Sea of Peril” in which a group of evacuees got torpedoed and were adrift in a lifeboat for weeks before they were rescued. In comparison I’ve had breakfast, elevenses, lunch and am sitting inside looking feeling warm and snug while it rains outside. It’s hard to feel much peril. But I feel I should have some peril in my life because it goes onto say in verse 12;

“all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution”.

I want to live godly in Christ Jesus. So, where is my persecution? Where are my perilous seas?

If I don’t know what perils I’m trying to sail through, it seems logical I’m more likely to accidently succumb. So let’s try and identify them.

<If you’re reading this and thinking, what I’m not a mostly SAHM in a warm house, this is completely irrelevant to me life, bear with me>

Verses 2-5 details 19 characteristics of perilous times so I’m just going to think how/where a few of these might be in 2012, in a suburb of Birmingham.

Lovers of their own selves- How do people love themselves? If I love someone else I am think about them a lot, bring them breakfast in bed, go on dates. I think it’s to do with people being too wrapped up in themselves and their own lives so there’s no room for God.

Covetous- Pinterest, (although can be used to play ideas etc too). The whole advertising culture along with the general expectation that everyone is working towards a big house, nice holidays, fast car (or in my case…a campervan).

Boasters- Facebook! The type of conversations I have with people.

Disobedient to parents- I only have an 18 month old. I don’t know about this yet…

Unthankful- to a God that gave them life, to the things God has blessed me with.

Incontinent- apart from the babies I meet… What does it mean? The first definition on google is as follows:

unable to contain or retain (usually followed by of ): incontinentof temper..

lacking in moderation or self-control, especially of sexual desire.

unceasing or unrestrained: an incontinent flow of talk.

Yes, I think there are many people who struggle with their temper, I do especially when poor little one wants to playat 5am. Yes to the second- all over magazines, fiction (and biographies!) And yes to the third especially if you consider the sheer volume of videos, books, blogs, newspapers everywhere, mostly talking very little about God or the Bible..

Despisers of those that are good- Now there’s a difference here- people who do good works seem to be acclaimed but people who are good by the Bible’s definition are not in my (sheltered) experience despised by gently sighed over, as if you were an adult who still believes in Father Christmas- “hasn’t anyone told you he isn’t real?” So at this moment, in my life I don’t see this yet.

Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God- this is a bigee, I think to put God first in your life requires time, effort, compromise and people just want to enjoy themselves. Or even it just make the most of their life and career, which takes time and effort and can then take them away from loving God.

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away- I definitely see this. So many good deeds, volunteering, helping neighbours but without any acknowledgement of God in their life.

I am able to notice some waves of peril in my life. For me it’s the little things, ways of thinking, pretty pictures on Pinterest that subtlety colour my thinking and fill my time, and without noticing, draw me away from the love of Jesus.

So what do you think…

Can you easily see peril around you?

What are your perils?

Perilous times arise because of the things that men do…How do you make sure you don’t end up doing them too?

P.S. You may think I’ve missed an obvious question: Are we in the last days? I will write something about this soon, but it requires careful study before 10pm.